BOARD ACTIONS - continued from previous page

May l2th, 2004- continued:

A motion was passed that members must pay for tickets they receive on consignment, unless they turn them in up to and including the day of the show.

Motion passed that a $200 donation be made to Camp Shining Arrow (for exceptional adults) in the name of John Siroclunan and his daughter.

Unfinished business: The subject of competing in contest was discussed and will be brought before the membership. Board opinion was for competing, 6:4.

New business: Gary Corpora brought up the need to have a quartet sing at every sing-out, as we are a quartet society. Joe Veltre indicated that we might not get volunteers and the quartet must perform well enough to give a good impression of our Chapter/Society.


Winners of the Show Ticket/Ads Contest were:

Most tickets sold:

First - John Power (84)
Second - Gordon Knapp (57)
Third - Bob Parker (55)

Most Ads Sold:

First - Bill Martin (12)
Second & Third (a tie)
Bob Parker (9) & Ralpb Ostlund (9)


THE LONELY METAL CHAIR
Editor preface: There has been much discussion lately about membership and how it fits our current goals. We have discussed ideas to obtain members, and how to retain them. In line with this, the article, "A LONELY METAL CHAIR" which appeared in the March/April 2004 Harmonizer is especially pertinent to our chapter. I have expressed a policy in the past not to reproduce material from other Society publications as you can read it there. However, Joe Veltre convinced me that the following is cause for exception to this policy. The following was included within the "Metal Chair - I was a spy..." article in the Harmonizer.

Here's what you - not your chapter leaders but YOU can do to help guests.

"I'm only a member, what can I do to help a guest?" Try doing any or all of these:

· Get the guest a cup of coffee and wait on him a little bit. Would you do that for a guest in your home? Why not in your own chapter?

· Offer to sing a tag or a short song with him in a quartet or small ensemble. Fifth-wheel with him if necessary, but encourage him to sing. Singing is what hooked you, isn't it?

· Introduce him to at least five other members of the chapter and help your guest "net-work" a little. If he's a teacher, introduce him to other teachers and start making those important personal connections.

· Be sure to personally introduce him to your director and encourage the director to take a couple of minutes to get to know the guy. The director, by his very presence up front, is very influential in helping guests decide to come back again.

· Give the guests something to "borrow" for a week - a CD, a video, an arrangement. It will give him one more reason to return the following week and will allow him to find out more about our hobby.

· Call the guests the next day - The very next day - and ask him, "What did you like best about last night?" His answer will give you insight into what it will take to convert him into a new member and serve as an opportunity for him to provide some feedback.

Regardless of what you do, be sure to involve the guests immediately and completely in the evening. The metal chair should collect rust before becoming a dumping ground for guests that we do not know how to handle. You can make a diffrence.


Ev Nau, Managing Director, Membership Development


Additional editor note: After reading the excerpt on this page, I recommend that if you have not done so already, go back and read the entire "Metal Chair - I was a Barbershop Spy" article from March/April 2004 Harmonizer. Then make sure to read the letter to the editor in the May/June Harmonizer from former, short term member of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, John Matusz. Ask yourself, "Could I have helped prevent this from happening?"



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